How To Cook Beet Greens Recipes

HOW TO COOK BEET GREENS

Steps:

• Trim the beet greens from the beets. Leave a good inch of stem attached to the beets because that's best for roasting beets (it stops the beets from bleeding red as much if you don't actually cut into their flesh). Set beets aside for another use.
• Cut the stems and leave into 2 inch pieces. Put the pieces into a colander and rinse them really well. Often there is a lot of sandy, grainy dirt on the stems and leaves and you want to get rid of that.
• Put about an inch of water into a medium sauce pan and bring it to a boil.
• Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir it in.
• Add your stems and leaves to the sauce pan.
• Bring back to a boil over high heat and then stir and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 3-5 minutes until a stem is very soft when pierced with a fork.
• Drain the beet greens. Be sure to use a clean colander. You don't want the dirt from before to end up on your cooked greens.
• Return the beet greens and stems to the sauce pan or a serving dish and add about 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Stir and taste. Add salt if desired.

SAUTEED BEET GREENS

Steps:

• Heat a medium saute pan coated with oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the beet greens and garlic, and toss until the greens are wilted and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and lemon zest and juice, and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

EASY BEET GREENS

Steps:

• Wash beet greens and drain. Chop stems and leaves separately.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over low heat and cook garlic until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add greens and allow to wilt, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.

ROASTED BEETS AND SAUTEED BEET GREENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.
• Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.
• When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.

SAUTéED BEET GREENS WITH GARLIC AND OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the greens and wash the leaves in 2 rinses of water. When the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the greens. Blanch for 2 minutes, until tender. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water, then drain and squeeze the water out from its leaves. Chop coarsely.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the garlic and hot red pepper flakes (if using) and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and translucent, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the greens. Stir for a couple of minutes, until the greens are nicely seasoned with garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and serve.